


Kiss-Proof Lipstick: Fact or Fiction?

by flammable_grimm_pitch



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), Inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender, M/M, Mutual Pining, Sokka's in university, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zuko works at Sephora, idiots to lovers, iroh owns a tea shop, sephora au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:40:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25325527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flammable_grimm_pitch/pseuds/flammable_grimm_pitch
Summary: Sokka gets dragged along to Sephora by his sister and Toph; Zuko provides him with a makeup education.
Relationships: Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Suki & Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong & Iroh, Toph Beifong & Katara
Comments: 77
Kudos: 825
Collections: Sephora Zuko





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [snowandfire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowandfire/gifts).



> Just want to start off by giving credit for so many of these ideas to @snowandfire, (tumblr: itszukkatime). Her post "zukka retail au where instead of a tea shop zuko works at sephora" inspired this fic, and somehow I've roped myself into writing multiple chapters because I've fallen hard for Sephora Zuko and his idiot soon-to-be boyfriend.

It was already hard enough to work on the paper for one of his engineering courses in the busy mall food court, but adding Katara and Toph’s incessant giggling on top of the constant noise of shoppers pushed Sokka over the edge.

“Okay, could you two try to be a little quieter, please?” Sokka huffed, tearing his headphones off. “I know you’re having a good time, but I’m trying to work here.” 

“Don’t be such a spoil-sport, Snoozles,” Toph said, leaning back in her chair across the table from him. “It’s the weekend – live a little, why don’tcha?” 

“I’d love to, but this paper is due on Monday morning, and I’m not nearly as far as I should be,” he told her, frowning as he checked the word count on his laptop screen. “And it’s pretty hard to get anything done with all this racket. I appreciate the free Wi-Fi, but I don’t think I can stay here any longer.” 

“Okay, we’ll go home right away,” his 15-year-old sister Katara promised. “But first, I _reeeeeally_ need you to take us to Sephora so I can get my eyebrows done, okay?” She gave him a hopeful smile, as if that might help. 

“You wanna do _what now_?” Sokka asked, frowning. “Katara, what’s wrong with the eyebrows you already have? Those fuzzy little caterpillars of yours look just fine to me.” 

“I hate you,” Katara exasperated. “Come on, Sokka, literally _everyone_ does it now.” He had seen lots of girls in his program with eyebrows that had been tinted, waxed, filled-in, or otherwise altered, and he didn’t exactly feel that his baby sister needed to join in on that trend. 

“I bet Toph doesn’t get her eyebrows done,” Sokka reasoned, saving his paper before closing his laptop and sliding it back into his bag. “And if she did, it wouldn’t make any difference; she still wouldn’t be able to see them.” 

“Hilarious,” Toph deadpanned as she rose from her seat and grabbed her white cane. “You’re lucky I rely on you for rides, or I’d definitely tell your dad about all the blind jokes you make about me.” 

“At least my jokes are usually in good taste,” Sokka smirked, reaching out to ruffle the girl’s short, black hair. Toph smacked his arm away with a growl of annoyance, and Katara shot her brother a dirty look as she readjusted her friend’s headband and smooth the flyaways he had created. “Time to go, girls. You can get your eyeballs done on a day I don’t have so much work to do.” 

“You’re such a brat sometimes, Sokka,” his sister sighed dramatically. “And to think we were going to introduce you to a cute guy.” 

“You were going to do what now?” Sokka asked, looking up from his bag as he zipped it shut. He thought he’d heard something about a cute guy, but it was possible his brain had just morphed his sister’s words into what he wanted to hear. 

“Oh, no one,” Katara shrugged. “Just this really handsome guy that works part-time at Sephora. Dark hair, gorgeous eyes, cheekbones you could cut diamonds on. But since you’d rather just go home…” 

“No, no, let’s go get your eyebrows shaved off, or whatever it is you want,” Sokka insisted, doing the worst job of faking enthusiasm either girl had ever seen. “I love that Seraphina store. Great pace.” 

“It’s ‘Sephora’,” Toph corrected, landing a hard smack on Sokka’s shin with her cane as she moved past him. “Didn’t know you were so into makeup, or we’d have taken you there before.” 

“Oh, you know me,” Sokka laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. “Love watching those tutorial videos on YouTube.” Katara rolled her eyes, but because Sokka had agreed to take her (she needed permission from someone over 18), she set her hands on Toph’s shoulders and gently turned her in the direction of the store. 

* * * * * 

A familiar face greeted the trio when they walked into the cosmetics store: Suki, who had been Sokka’s first (and only) girlfriend back in high school. 

They hadn’t worked out as a couple, mostly because Sokka had fallen into a sexuality crisis of epic proportions halfway through that year. He decided to spare Suki the confusion of dating a guy who was so confused about _himself_. Once he’d come out as bisexual, they had gone on a few more dates, but ultimately decided it would be best to just be friends. They attended the same university, but it had been quite a while since they’d last bumped into each other. 

“Hey you!” Suki greeted him with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Funny seeing you in here.” 

“Oh, you know,” he shrugged. “Katara wants to get hair ripped out of her forehead or something, so she and Toph dragged me down here.” 

“He only agreed to come because _Zuko_ is working today,” Toph announced, singing the boy’s name. Suki and Katara exchanged a conspiratorial look, which made Sokka vaguely uncomfortable. Were his sister and his ex in cahoots, trying to set him up with some guy he’d never met? 

“Oh, well Zuko’s over at the workstations, if you wanted to say hello,” Suki informed the group. “He’s great at eyebrows, if you’re looking to get them done, Katara.” 

“Well, let’s go on over, then!” Katara said decidedly. Toph offered the crook of her elbow, allowing her best friend to loop her arm through and walk her over to the long row of chairs and mirrors situated across the store. Her white cane had been the cause of a lip gloss display avalanche once before, so they thought it best if Katara acted as Toph’s eyes, just for a bit. 

“So, Zuko…” Suki said with a sly smile. 

“I haven’t even met the guy!” Sokka protested, covering his face with his hands to hide how much he was blushing. “Katara said she wanted to come here, she mentioned a cute boy, and that’s all I know.” 

“He’s cool,” Suki promised. “He can be a bit…blunt, at times, but he’s a good person.” Sokka considered her warning, and wondered whether she was exaggerating, or making a massive understatement. Who was to say whether they’d get along or not? But, he figured this wasn’t a particularly high-stakes meeting; if he wasn’t interested, he had no obligation to stick around any longer than it would take for Katara’s eyebrow thing. 

“Sokka, get over here!” He heard his name being called from across the store, so Sokka waved goodbye to Suki, and followed his sister’s voice. 

“Ever heard of using your inside voice when you’re in a public place?” he asked, glowering as he approached the workstation. Katara had seated herself in a bucket chair that spun, similar to the ones in a barber’s shop. There was a long row of mirrors, a countertop running along below it, and chairs spaced evenly to allow multiple people to have makeup or hair done at once. Little light bulbs acted as a border around the mirrors, reminiscent of backstage dressing rooms for stage actors and dancers. _This place is kind of cool,_ Sokka thought to himself. 

“Sorry, you were just taking forever,” she reasoned. “Zuko just went to grab—oh, here he is!” Sokka turned in the direction his sister was looking and saw a young man in all black approaching. It took every ounce of self-control in him to keep his mouth from dropping open in surprise. ‘Cute’ was a massive understatement – this guy was _gorgeous._

“Did you find your brother?” the man asked Katara, his voice a soft, timid tenor. Suppressing a smug grin, she gestured towards her awestruck brother with a bob of her head. 

“Zuko, I’d like you to meet my older brother, Sokka,” she introduced them. The pale young man regarded Sokka evenly, and held out a hand in greeting. “Sokka, this is Zuko.” 

“Nice to meet you,” he said pleasantly, giving Sokka a firm handshake before releasing him. “I think I’ve seen you around campus – I recognize the, uh...” Zuko ran a hand over top of his head and mimed tugging at a ponytail, in reference to Sokka’s trademark hairstyle: buzzed to his scalp on the sides, with the longer bits from the top and back pulled into a short, high pony. 

“Oh, yeah,” Sokka chuckled, feeling suddenly self-conscious. “I guess it’s kind of an odd look. But um, good to meet you as well.” The two young men shoved their hands in their pockets and glanced around the shop, pretending not to be checking each other out. 

“Okay, Sparky, no more flirting,” Toph scolded the stylist. “Katara wants her eyebrows threaded, but apparently Sokka has to get home to finish a paper for school. So make it speedy, okay?” 

“Toph!” Zuko hissed under his breath. He couldn’t believe she had called him out like that, especially in front of an equally cute guy. 

“What, am I wrong?” she asked, feigning innocence. “Sorry, didn’t realize it was a secret.” Zuko scoffed at her excuse, and purposely avoided Sokka’s curious eyes. 

“Uhh…I’m getting the feeling that either you girls come in here to harass the staff _way_ too often,” Sokka guessed, “Or that Toph and Zuko know each other from somewhere other than here.” Toph elbowed Sokka’s arm _hard_ , earning a surprisingly high-pitched yelp from him. 

“Of course we know each other. Zuko lives with Dad and I,” Toph explained, frowning as though Sokka should really know this fact by now. “My dad is his uncle.” Her adoptive father, Iroh, she meant, but Sokka understood. 

“Cool cool,” Sokka acknowledged with a nod. “Well, it’s good that you’re just harassing your cousin at work, instead of some random stranger. I was getting kinda worried for a minute there.” 

“I’d rather she didn’t harass me at all…” Zuko mumbled darkly. He had Katara switch to a chair that tilted backwards, which allowed him more room to work, and offered her better neck support. Sokka watched curiously from a few feet away. 

Zuko really was a looker, he noted right away. His dark hair was shaggy, and styled to look messy without _actually_ being a mess. A bit of a fringe hung down over his forehead, partially obscuring his left eye. 

That was his next observation: Zuko's eyes were incredible. Sokka had never seen someone with irises such a bright, golden hazel. He wondered if that was something that ran in the family, or if it was unique to him. 

When he noticed Sokka hovering, Zuko waved him closer, thinking he wanted to watch as Katara’s brows were being done. Sokka stood at his sister’s head, shifting his gaze between the stylist’s hands as he worked, and the young man’s angular face. He was glad – not for the first time – that Toph was blind. She might be able to pick up that a person was flirting using verbal cues, but she couldn’t call him out for staring if she couldn’t see it happening. 

When Zuko turned his neck to get a better view of his workspace, Sokka noticed for the first time that he was wearing eyeliner. The black liner wasn’t as thick or bold as he had seen it done on some girls, but it visibly extended past his eyelid and ended in an angled wing; a cat eye, he thought he’d heard it called once. 

“I didn’t know boys wore makeup,” Sokka blurted out, suddenly unable to hold the thought in. He hadn’t said it to be rude, but it came across that way nonetheless. 

“Tui and La, Sokka!” Katara groaned, clenching her teeth at her brother’s utter lack of tact. Usually she would have given him a good smack for such a comment, but with Zuko attending to her eyebrows, she was forced to keep her eyes closed and lie back in her chair. The stylist stayed calm and collected, but Katara thought she could hear an edge of annoyance in his voice. 

“Does it bother you that I wear makeup?” he asked evenly, meeting Sokka’s eyes. “I _do_ work in a cosmetics store, so I don’t really think it should come as a surprise to anyone.” 

“N-no, of course not. I just meant—no, it’s fine,” Sokka stammered, kicking himself for his occasionally faulty filter. “It’s just, um. I don’t really know any boys that wear makeup. So I was curious. It looks cool, though, on you.” Zuko narrowed his eyes, wondering whether Sokka was mocking him or not, but decided after a moment that he really had just been curious. 

Sokka’s gaze shifted to watch Zuko’s hands as he worked, his fingers deftly manoeuvring the ends of threads to pluck stray hairs from Katara’s brows. He had black polish on his nails, surprising him once again. Sokka had assumed that nail polish on boys was more of a punk trend, and Zuko didn’t seem the type. 

“Ouch!” Katara yelped as Zuko threaded a hair closer to her eyelid. He stopped for a moment, seeing that her eyes had started to water. 

“Do you want to take a break for a minute?” he offered gently. “We can stop if you need to.” 

“No, let’s just keep going,” Katara said determinedly. “I’ll power through it, and then it’ll be done faster.” 

“Let me know if you do need me to stop,” Zuko told her. Sokka watched on in abject disgust as his sister continued on with the painful procedure. He didn’t understand why a girl as smart and confident as Katara would feel the need to have this done. Did she really feel that left out by having eyebrows with a bit more substance? 

“I can smell you thinking, Sokka,” she murmured. “Don’t be judgy.” 

“I—why would you think—how did you know?” he spluttered, setting his hands on his hips. Katara couldn’t appreciate how dramatic his shifting expressions were, as her eyes were closed, but it didn’t keep her from grinning deviously. She knew him too well. 

“I’m doing this because I don’t want to stick out like a sore thumb at school anymore,” she explained. “I don’t feel the need to wear tons of makeup or buy the same clothes as every other girl in my class, but…” Katara paused, pressing her lips together as she searched for the right words. “I guess I just feel like this is one little thing I can do to fit in. I heard some boy in my gym class call me a ‘caveman’ to his friends because my hair is so dark and thick, and for the first time, I felt _embarrassed_ about the way I look. I know it shouldn’t matter...” 

“But it does,” Sokka finished for her. “I get that. I’ve thought about growing my hair out about a thousand times, because every now and then, some asshole says something rude about it. And it’s stupid, because I _love_ the way I do my hair. It’s an integral part of my image. And it really hurts to have someone attack that.” Zuko pulled his hands away from Katara’s face for a moment, allowing Sokka to step closer. He set a hand on the top of her head and ran his thumb across his sister’s forehead in a gesture of affection. 

“If this is what you want, then you should do it,” Sokka said firmly. “If this will make you proud of yourself when you look in the mirror, great. And if not…” He glanced up at Zuko and flashed him a dazzling smile. “If not, then I’m sorry, but it’s too late. This guy’s already done one eyebrow, and you’ll look goofy if you stop now.” Zuko tried hard to suppress a smile, but it made Sokka’s heart beat a little faster when he saw the corners of Zuko’s mouth twitch upwards. 

“Wow, for a moment there, I _almost_ thought you were being heartfelt,” Toph said, her voice heavy with sarcasm. 

“That _was_ Sokka being heartfelt,” Katara snorted. “You know us, Toph. We’re not such a serious family that we can’t laugh at ourselves sometimes.” 

The girls chatted about school as Zuko finished Katara’s eyebrows, and when she sat back up, Sokka was actually impressed by how well he had done. They were perfectly symmetrical, not too thin, and could hardly be called caterpillars at all anymore. 

“Thanks, Zuko, they look awesome!” Katara beamed as she looked them over in the mirror. “Do I just pay up at the front?” 

“Yep, I already had them ring it up,” he nodded. Katara pulled Toph from her chair and yanked her along towards the checkout desk, leaving Zuko and Sokka alone. 

“So, um, you’re pretty good at this,” Sokka observed, cringing when he realized how lame he probably sounded. 

“I’ve had lots of practice,” Zuko shrugged. “But thanks.” He was tidying up his workstation, as well as doing his best to avoid just standing and staring at the lovely man beside him. Sokka made it difficult, though, with his deep blue eyes, and brown skin Zuko knew would be deliciously warm if he were to reach out and grab hold of Sokka’s hand. 

“So, uh…when do you usually work?” Sokka inquired, nervously rocking back and forth on his heels. “In case I need to come back and get something, I mean.” 

“What kind of something?” Zuko asked, raising an eyebrow. “I thought boys didn’t wear makeup.” 

“I don’t know, uhh…something for my sister?” Sokka felt himself fumble over his words. Zuko probably hated him, because he had said that stupid thing about the eyeliner, and now he would never see him again, and he’d have to go to Toph’s house just to get the occasional glimpse of him— 

“Anybody home?” Zuko said, pulling Sokka out of the train wreck of his thoughts. “I think I lost you for a minute there.” 

“Haha, uh, yeah,” Sokka grimaced, scratching at the back of his neck as he tried to come up with something mildly intelligent to say. “Well, here come the girls, so I should probably go.” As Sokka raised a hand in farewell, Zuko reached out and touched Sokka’s arm, startling him. 

“I’m on evenings next week, Tuesday to Friday, starting at 4:00,” Zuko murmured, holding Sokka’s gaze just a moment too long. “If you needed to get something for your sister, I mean.” 

“Yeah, of course,” Sokka nodded, swallowing hard. He knew without looking at his class schedule or list of assignments that he’d be back at least once next week. There were so many different kinds of cosmetic products that he could probably stop by every day for two years and still come up with something to ask Zuko about. 

“See you around then,” Zuko said, smiling so slightly it was nearly imperceptible. But Sokka saw it. He saw that he was being given a chance, and he wasn’t going to mess it up, if he had any say in the matter. 

“See ya,” Sokka grinned, walking backwards towards the entrance of the store. He bumped into a cardboard display stand and knocked a few bottles of setting spray to the ground, which he hurriedly tidied up. Katara and Toph giggled as they followed him, waving goodbye to Zuko and Suki on their way out. 

Suki sidled up beside Zuko and was quiet for a moment, allowing the events of the last half hour to soak in. She had been watching carefully as the boys interacted with each other, and it had tickled her pink when she overheard Sokka asking about Zuko’s schedule. 

“So, what d’you think?” she asked, glancing up at her friend. He chewed mindlessly at the inside of his cheek as he gathered his thoughts. 

“He’s kind of an idiot,” Zuko said eventually. “Cute, but an idiot.” 

“Cute _and_ an idiot,” Suki corrected him. “They aren’t mutually exclusive when it comes to Sokka. He’s a genius at building and inventing things, but his flirting skills could use a bit of work, I’ll admit.” 

“He asked when I’m working. What do you think that means?” 

“You know exactly what it means,” Suki accused. “He likes you. He wants to get to know you.” 

“I suppose I’ll have to let him. Know me, that is.” This thought made Zuko’s stomach churn. Getting to know him was messy. Sometimes, it scared people off. 

“When you’re ready,” Suki agreed, slipping her hand into Zuko’s and giving it a squeeze before releasing him. “Just take things slowly. He might not look it, but Sokka can be very patient.” 

“I hope so,” Zuko whispered to himself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka sets his plan for winning Zuko's heart into action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote late into the night, and am basically just puking this up with zero edits. Will reread and fix later in the day (once I've had some sleep, haha).

On Monday afternoon, Sokka lazed around in his bedroom after class. Katara was scheduled to be at a swim team practice until just before supper, and typically, Toph would meet her at the school after practice, and they would walk back to the house to join the Shimizu family for dinner. Instead of blaring music as he usually did (the perks of being home alone), Sokka left his door open a crack and listened intently for the creak of the front door.

When the girls stepped into the house 10 minutes later, Sokka heard his sister mumbling about some issue with the women’s locker room at school. The gist of her explanation was that she hadn’t got the chance to shower after practice, so she was going to have to do so now – leaving Toph alone. As soon as the pipes started creaking, Sokka jumped up and made for the kitchen, where he knew Toph would probably be rifling around in the cupboards in search of an after-school snack. 

He was close with his guess – Toph _was_ in the kitchen, but had her math textbook out in front of her instead of a bag of chips. 

“Hey, how’s it going?” Sokka greeted her as he headed for the fridge. “Want a drink or something?” 

“No, that’s alright, thanks,” Toph declined politely. “Just trying to get through a few questions while Katara’s in the shower.” Sokka poured himself a glass of water, and took a seat across from his sister’s friend, watching curiously as she slowly shifted her fingers across the raised bumps dotting the page of her book. He had seen Toph read Braille plenty of times before, but he was still fascinated by the concept. He made a mental note to ask her later about an idea he’d had about improving accessibility on the university campus. First, though, he had been waiting for what felt like an eternity to talk with her in relative privacy, and now seemed as good a time as any. 

“You look nice today,” Sokka said, resting his forearms on the kitchen counter. “Did you do something different with your hair? I know Katara’s been obsessed with this new shampoo she got recently, so she’s probably convinced you to try it by n—” 

“What do you want, Snoozles?” Toph interrupted, scowling at Sokka as she glanced up from her homework. It seemed his timing was less ideal than he’d hoped. 

“Oh, nothing much,” he shrugged innocently, “Just uh, was wondering if you knew what kind of drinks Zuko likes, and what he likes in them. You know, coffee, tea –that sort of thing.” 

“I’m _not_ helping you get with my cousin,” Toph snickered. “You’re on your own there, buddy.” The young man’s shoulders drooped, and he stuck out his bottom lip in a dramatic pout, but Sokka remained entirely unsuccessful in winning Toph over – partly because she didn’t care for a suck-up, but mostly because she had been completely blind since birth (a fact Sokka failed to remember in his hour of need) and relied almost entirely on tone of voice to gauge emotion when talking with others. 

“Aw, come onnnnn,” Sokka pleaded, dramatically flopping down onto the floor beside her chair. “Don’t you want Zuko to be happy?” This earned a bark of laughter from the girl. 

“What makes you think you’re the best person for that job?” Toph challenged, raising her eyebrows so high, they disappeared beneath her fringe. “You don’t even know him.” Her face was turned in Sokka’s general direction, but her cloudy gaze floated somewhere in the vicinity of his forehead; it was as if she could see right through him. Sokka tried his best not to feel intimidated by a 15-year-old who was nearly a foot and a half shorter than him. 

“Well, that’s where you come in,” he continued adamantly, reaching out to give her ankle a friendly pat. Toph lifted her foot and stomped down hard, missing Sokka’s fingers by a hair’s width. 

“Hey now, don’t be like that! I drive you and Katara wherever you want, and I’ve never asked you for anything. Help me just this once – give me one little detail – and I’ll be forever grateful,” Sokka pleaded, clasping his hands together at her feet. “Please, Toph?” The girl tilted her head back and let out a prolonged sigh, as though this discussion was causing her great psychological pain. 

“If I tell you what Zuko orders at Starbucks, you’ll do two things for me,” Toph instructed after a moment of silence. “First – you’ll give Katara and I a ride to the party we’re going to this coming weekend, you’ll pick us up when we’re ready to come home, even if it’s really late, _and_ if any of our dads ask where we are, you’ll tell a plausible lie for us.” 

“Done,” Sokka agreed instantly. He cared for his sister’s safety, but he mostly trusted her to make good decisions. If they didn’t want Iroh, Hakoda, or Bato to know whose party they were attending, he wasn’t going to say anything unless an emergency necessitated it. Katara had covered for him on numerous occasions in the past, so it was only fair for him to return the favour. 

“Second, and most importantly: you will never, _ever_ try to discuss your relationship with Zuko with or in front of me, because there’s some things that I just don’t want to know. Gotcha, Snoozles?” 

“Yes, ma’am,” Sokka nodded, smiling brightly up at the teen. He waited expectantly for her to share Zuko’s drink order, and after a full minute of silence, he began to worry that Toph had changed her mind. 

“Uh, are you…okay?” Sokka asked, chuckling nervously. Her brow was furrowed, but he hadn’t done or said anything to upset her (that he was aware of, at least). 

“I’m not going to give you the shovel talk,” Toph said slowly, frowning as though she were struggling to find the right words. “But you should know that Zuko…has had a difficult life. I’m not going to elaborate, because it’s not my place – it’s his to share with whoever he decides has earned it. Just…don’t make me regret helping you, Sokka.” 

Sokka regarded his sister’s best friend thoughtfully. It was at times like this when he caught glimpses of the wisdom and grace she would grow into as she aged. As he would expect of a teen girl, Toph had teased her cousin incessantly when they visited him at work on the weekend, but the solemn tone she had taken with Sokka told him that she cared deeply for Zuko. Toph could be stubborn and brash, but she was also fiercely loyal, Sokka knew, to her friends and loved ones. 

Katara had shouldered a fair amount of teasing and bullying back in their junior high days, and though Toph had been much smaller than Katara’s bullies, she stood up to them without hesitation and demanded that they show some respect _or else_. For the few who (stupidly) refused to heed Toph’s warning, all it took was one of their friend Aang’s brilliant pranks to discourage any further bullying. 

“Thank you,” was all Sokka could think to say once she revealed the information he had requested. Toph pressed her lips together and gave him a single nod, and that was the end of the discussion. She turned back to her homework and puzzled away at the pre-calculus questions she’d been assigned, and Sokka hauled himself up off the floor, and into a chair. A few minutes later, Katara came downstairs with her wet hair wrapped in a fluffy towel, no longer smelling of chlorine. 

“Oh, are you helping Toph with her math, Sokka?” she smiled, glancing between the two seated across from each other at the island, where the Shimizu family usually sat for meals and played games. 

“Uhh…” Sokka opened his mouth to speak, but nothing intelligent came out. 

“He wasn’t much help at all,” Toph said in mock annoyance. “Apparently he can’t read Braille.” 

* * * * * 

By the time six o’clock rolled around on Tuesday, Zuko had run out of shelves to restock, and he was starting to panic. It was foolish, he knew, to think that Sokka might actually stop by _tonight_. He had shared his schedule for the week, but that didn’t mean Sokka was going to drop everything and show up the moment Zuko’s first shift started. But he was nervous nonetheless, and he was officially out of distractions. 

_Maybe I should sweep the floors, they look like they could use it._

Nope. Suki had already instructed one of the trainees to do that. 

_The front window glass—_

Already done _twice_ , and no children had slipped past the ad banners and pressed their sticky little faces against the glass in the last half hour. 

Zuko glanced over his uniform, ensuring that his shoes were tied, his fly was done up, and his buttons were in the correct holes. He picked a bit of lint from the front of his black trousers, and rubbed at a scuffmark on the tile floor with the toe of his dress shoe. Everything seemed to be in order. It would be vain of him to look at his reflection in one of the store’s many mirrors, he felt, so he didn’t stoop so low as to use that to bide time. 

An hour later, he was checking the labels on the bottles of liquid foundation to make sure that an unobservant customer wouldn’t grab from the row of the shade they wanted and end up with something entirely different. It frustrated him to no end when customers changed their mind about buying something, but instead of giving it to an employee or putting it back where they had found it, they shoved it in the most convenient location and walked off. Zuko had seen it happen with his own eyes. He was stewing over this very issue when his manager, the always-bubbly Ty Lee, appeared beside him. 

“Hey, Zuko, do you have a minute?” she asked, drawing his attention. He abandoned his futile project and stood up, dusting off the knees of his trousers before regarding Ty Lee with the least anxious expression he could manage. 

“Sure, what’s up?” he responded, tugging the corners of his mouth into an awkward smile. Ty Lee’s face fell a little, and Zuko cursed himself for being the absolute worst actor on the earth. She could see right through him, he was sure of it. But she made no mention of his erratic behaviour, so he allowed himself to breathe a little easier. 

“I was wondering if you could go help a customer over by the masks and face cleansers. They look a little lost.” Zuko thought nothing of her request, because unlike Suki or Toph, Ty Lee’s innocent expression made it easy to trust her. He realized as soon as he made eye contact with Sokka – who did indeed look lost – that the young woman had set him up. 

“So, answer me this,” Sokka said, pointing with his free hand at a box of charcoal masks. “Why do people keep trying these things, if it makes you feel like you’re peeling off your entire face? I’ve seen the videos online – it looks like it really hurts!” Zuko stared at him for a moment, processing both the absurd question he’d been asked, and the fact that Sokka was right here, in front of him (and he hadn’t even noticed the guy walk in). 

“Wh-what are you doing here?” Zuko stammered, instantly losing his cool. Sokka frowned uncertainly, confused by Zuko’s almost accusatory response. 

“Um, well,” Sokka shrugged, “This guy told me if I ever needed to buy something here, he’d help me find it, because I know _literally nothing_ about makeup.” He glanced down at his hands, and perked up again when he remembered he had come bearing a gift. “ _And,_ you’ll never believe it, but I was walking past Starbucks, and they had a drink with your name on it! Go figure, right?” 

“They had a…what?” Zuko stared dumbly at Sokka, momentarily losing his train of thought as he noticed a few things he hadn’t when they first met: Sokka had two thin black rings through the cartilage of one ear, and a sweet little dimple below his lip. 

“Sorry, they spelled it wrong the first time,” Sokka murmured sheepishly, one side of his mouth turning upwards in a rye smile as he extended his arm and offered the large cup to Zuko. When he turned the cup around, Zuko saw his name scrawled across the side in black marker. As Sokka had mentioned, there was some crossed-out writing above it. Zuko looked more closely at the spelling mistake, expecting that they had used a ‘C’ instead of a ‘K’, or maybe mixed up ‘Z’ and ‘S’. Instead, he saw the words “Sephora Cutie” with a thin line slashed through the middle. It was oddly legible, as if someone had left it that way…on purpose. His gaze flickered up to meet Sokka’s, and he saw that the bright-eyed young man watching him with delight. He carefully removed the lid from the hot drink to see what was in the cup, and when the steam rose up into his face, Zuko got a noseful of the unmistakably sweet aroma of jasmine tea. 

“You got this for me?” Zuko asked in disbelief. 

“Well, yeah,” Sokka said with a laugh. “I don’t see any other Zukos around here, do you?” 

“But this is my favourite,” Zuko frowned, pressing the lid back onto the cup so he wouldn’t spill. “How did you know?” 

“Lucky guess?” Sokka said, wincing at his own terrible lie. “I, uh – well, actually, I kind of asked Toph when she was over for dinner yesterday.” 

This was an incredibly sweet gesture. Unfortunately, Zuko hadn’t been the recipient of many sweet gestures in his life, so he really had no idea how to respond properly. He felt as though he was a robot, and his brain was short-circuiting. Did Sokka expect a hug, or was he supposed to just smile back? 

“Thank you,” was what Zuko came up with. “You didn’t have to do this.” 

“I didn’t,” Sokka agreed gently, “But I wanted to.” He watched as Zuko’s expression shifted over and over again, and realized that the poor guy was a little overwhelmed. 

“Anyway, uh, I actually came here for some advice,” Sokka told Zuko, glancing around helplessly. “I was sort of curious about this whole ‘boys wearing makeup’ thing you’ve enlightened me about, and I thought maybe you could get me started. Just something small, I mean.” 

At this revelation, Zuko’s brain snapped back into action. He regarded Sokka with suspicion, wondering whether he was being serious or not. Just before the weekend, Sokka hadn’t even known that boys _could_ wear makeup. 

“Are you making fun of me?” Zuko asked, narrowing his eyes. 

“What? No, of course not. I’m not a total asshole,” Sokka defended himself. “I just want to see what the big deal is. Obviously I’m not going to become ‘Mr. Hot Guyliner’ in a day, but I thought there might be one simple thing I could try out, just to see how it looks. Who knows, maybe I’ll dig it.” 

“Mr. Hot Guyliner?” Zuko repeated, raising an eyebrow. 

“Shit, I said that out loud, didn’t I?” Sokka groaned, covering his face with both hands. “Well, that’s it for me. I’m gonna go bury myself. Enjoy the tea.” He turned around and made for the store’s exit, but Zuko set a hand on his shoulder and stopped him. 

“You like my eyeliner?” he asked, watching Sokka’s face carefully. He nodded, trying hard to swallow the lump in his throat that continued to grow the longer Zuko stared at him. 

“It’s kind of badass,” Sokka whispered. “But don’t tell my sister I said that.” 

“Okay. Well, if you want something subtle, but still effective,” Zuko suggested, praying to Agni his voice wouldn’t crack like it did when he was a nervous 13-year-old, “I’d say you could probably try mascara. It’ll make your lashes longer and fuller, and tint them a bit darker.” Sokka trailed after him, following as Zuko sought out one of the store’s bestsellers. 

“Here,” he said, grabbing a small box from the shelf. Zuko opened the box and dumped a slim, pink tube into his hand, which he held up for Sokka to see. “Everyone loves this, it’s the Too Faced ‘Better Than Sex’ mascara.” He listed off some details about it, but Sokka was too busy trying to hold in a giggle to actually pay attention. 

“Why are you…” Zuko started, frowning when he noticed Sokka’s shoulders beginning to shake. He thought back over his spiel, and as soon as he realized what had set Sokka off, his expression fell immediately into one of slight annoyance. 

“That’s actually what it’s called?” Sokka howled, clapping a hand on Zuko’s shoulder. “Wow, who gave that person permission to name things?” 

“You’re worse than a nine-year-old boy,” Zuko sighed, shaking his head. 

“True,” Sokka agreed with a wink. “But you like me.” 

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Zuko warned, eying Sokka warily. “Save your money, I have a brand new tube in my car. I’ll let you try some when I’m off work – it’ll save you $17.” 

“So you don’t like me, but you _do_ expect me to wait an hour and a half for you to get off work so you can make me pretty,” Sokka teased. Now Zuko was blushing. He hadn’t even thought about the fact that Sokka surely had plans, or at least something better to do than hang around Sephora at 7:30. 

“Well, I didn’t—there’s no reason to wait around,” Zuko said, fumbling over his words. “I’m sure you have readings to finish for class.” 

“I do,” Sokka shrugged, pretending to examine his nails. “But I brought them along so I could do them while I wait for you to get off work. Thought I could walk you to your car or something.” 

“Walk me to my car,” Zuko repeated. 

“I can’t drive you home, or you’d have no car to get yourself to class or work tomorrow,” Sokka explained. “So logically, the best choice is for me to walk you out after your shift.” A group of giggly girls walked into the store, prompting Sokka to begin backing towards the exit. 

“Where are you—” 

“See you at 9:30,” Sokka smiled, his eyes twinkling mischievously. “Be there or be square. Bring your mascara. It’ll be a party.” 

“Sokka!” Zuko called after him, but before he could talk him out of sticking around just for his sake, Sokka was gone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do we think about awkward Zuko, and overly confident Sokka? Let me know what you liked, what needs work, and what you want to see in future chapters!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A surprise first date sends Zuko into a bit of a panic.

Though many of his coworkers might disagree, Zuko had always found it oddly calming to walk through the mall once everything had been closed down and locked up for the night. The store windows were dark, the overwhelming mix of scents from the food court had dissipated, and the only sounds remaining were the hum of floor cleaning machines and Zuko’s own footsteps.

“Drive safe,” the evening security guard called after him as Zuko passed by. 

“Night,” Zuko replied with a wave. As he pushed open the glass door and stepped out into the dimly lit parking lot, a cool gust of wind blew past, ruffling Zuko’s shaggy brown hair. His car was one of the last remaining vehicles in the lot, parked beneath a flickering light post. A silver SUV outfitted with a boat rack idled nearby, its driver just a dark silhouette. 

As Zuko crossed the lot and approached his car, the driver’s side window of the SUV rolled down. He mentally steeled himself to be catcalled, but was pleasantly surprised to hear a charming, familiar voice. 

“Hey there, handsome,” Sokka greeted, leaning out the window far enough that Zuko could actually see his face. “Funny meeting you here.” Zuko’s face flushed redder than a tomato; for the first time, he was grateful that the mall maintenance guys had been procrastinating on replacing the burnt out bulbs in the parking lot’s light poles. Why did Sokka have to be such an enormous flirt? 

“It’s almost like you knew when I’d be off work,” Zuko replied evenly as he approached the SUV. “Are you stalking me or something?” 

“Depends,” Sokka shrugged, feigning innocence. “Do you usually let stalkers take you out on dates after work?” 

“Uh, well, I remember Uncle saying _something_ to Toph about getting into cars with strangers,” Zuko joked, running a hand through his hair. His heart was beating a mile a minute, and it was entirely Sokka’s fault. “But I can’t remember if it was _‘do_ get in’ or _‘don’t_ get in.’ Maybe I should call and ask…” 

“Or, you could not do that,” Sokka suggested, “And instead, you could just get in my car so I can take you for a late dinner?” Zuko couldn’t possibly say no to a boy whose eyes twinkled like that – like the afternoon sun reflecting off gentle ocean waves. 

“Why not?” Zuko acquiesced, silently hoping he wasn’t sounding over-eager. 

“Did you need to stop at home and change,” Sokka inquired, “or are we good to go?” Zuko glanced down at his work outfit with a frown. His trousers and shoes were nice enough, but his black dress shirt – which had a red stripe running down each sleeve in homage to the dresses many of Sephora’s female employees wore – wasn’t really the sort of thing he’d usually wear to go out. 

“I’ve probably got something in my car that’ll work,” Zuko said, “So just give me one minute.” 

“Are you gonna take all your clothes off right here in the parking lot?” Sokka asked, waggling his eyebrows mischievously. 

“In your dreams,” Zuko snorted, unlocking his car. “I’m just changing my shirt.” There were a few options tucked away in a duffel bag he’d tossed into the back sea, so it took a minute for him to decide which would be best. Glancing back at Sokka, he stood on tiptoe to get a better look at what he was wearing. _T-shirt it is,_ he determined. 

Sokka whistled approvingly as Zuko unbuttoned his shirt and let it fall from his shoulders, earning himself a raised middle finger. 

“Kidding!” he hollered, “I promise I’m not _that_ guy!” Zuko just smiled and shook his head. He made quick work of yanking an equally black t-shirt on, not caring if it messed his hair up a little, so long as his skin was showing for as little time as possible. Even so, Sokka had still probably caught a glimpse of the tattoo stretched across his shoulders. This was confirmed when Zuko climbed into the SUV a minute later. 

“Cool dragon,” Sokka murmured, regarding him curiously. “I didn’t know you had tattoos.” His eyes were bright with admiration as he reached out and touched one of the soft, pink cherry blossoms inked on Zuko’s arms. 

“I’ll tell you about them later, if you want,” Zuko offered. “If you show me yours.” He tapped the bottom of Sokka’s shirtsleeve, which covered up all but the bottom swirls of the inked circlet wrapping around his right bicep. 

“Sure thing, handsome,” Sokka agreed, putting the SUV into drive and pulling out of the mall parking lot. “But first, food.” 

* * * * * 

After weighing the pros and cons of the restaurants available to them, the boys decided that the takeout noodle place down the street from Sokka’s house would meet their needs, as it offered a wide variety of options. As they waited for their order to be ready, Zuko shared that he loved foods with a bit of a kick, and Sokka regaled him with the tale of how he had once cried after eating a pastry at Suki’s house because ‘the cinnamon in it had been too spicy’. 

“You’re telling me,” Zuko asked in utter disbelief, “That you ate a _cinnamon bun,_ and _that_ was too spicy for you?” 

“Hey, where my dads come from, the only seasoning they use is salt,” Sokka said with a scowl, “So we don’t eat spicy food at home. How could I have built up a tolerance to spice if I’d never had it before?” Zuko couldn’t answer, because he was too busy trying not to suffocate, he was laughing so hard. 

The two young men stood shoulder to shoulder against the wall of the restaurant, so caught up in listening to the other that neither noticed the odd looks from other customers. A middle-aged man regarded the pair with disdain when he noticed the presence of cosmetics on the shorter boy’s face. Sokka, however, was enamoured by the shimmering red-orange of his friend’s eyeshadow, and the deep, lush red of his lips. Their order number had to be called twice, he was so distracted by Zuko’s handiwork. 

After the short wait, they returned to the vehicle with takeout boxes in hand, and Sokka suggested that they take their food back to his place to eat since it was close by. He explained that his parents and sister were at a swim meet, so they wouldn’t have to worry about an awkward ‘meet the parents’ moment before they were ready for it. Zuko agreed, though the idea of visiting Sokka’s house for the first time terrified him a bit, especially since they’d be alone. Sensing his anxiety, Sokka reached over the centre console and took one of Zuko’s warm hands in his. 

“There’s no pressure, man,” Sokka reassured him with a crooked smile. “We’re just two dudes, eating noodles and watching TV. No big deal, okay? If you’d rather we go somewhere else, that’s fine, too.” 

“Just two dudes eating noodles,” Zuko repeated under his breath. “Right.” 

By the time Sokka pulled into his driveway, Zuko had nearly worked himself into a full-on panic attack. What if Sokka was completely different at home than he was around other people? What if he made a move Zuko wasn’t comfortable with, or they ran out of things to talk about? What if he was a murderer and Sokka had really just brought him here to kill him? A thousand irrational worries were running through his mind, overpowering the excitement he was feeling about finally seeing Sokka outside of work. 

“Zuko?” Sokka murmured, gently sliding two fingers up his friend’s wrist to feel his racing pulse. “Your head’s gonna explode if you keep worrying like this. Just watch me and take some deep breaths, babe.” He demonstrated what he wanted from Zuko, flaring his nostrils as he sucked in a huge breath, holding it in his chest for a few seconds, and blowing cool air from his mouth. This was exactly what Uncle did when Zuko felt overwhelmed at home, and it was of great comfort to him. 

“Thanks,” Zuko whispered once he’d had the chance to settle down a bit. He stared down at his lap, too embarrassed to meet Sokka’s eyes. “Um, sorry about that. I just get a little anxious sometimes. ” 

“No need to apologize,” Sokka insisted, tilting Zuko’s chin up with his index finger. “Happens to everyone sometimes. But hey, let’s go in and eat before our food gets cold!” He grimaced as his stomach rumbled audibly. 

“Well, that was concerning.” Zuko couldn’t help but laugh. He undid his seatbelt and climbed out of the SUV, then followed Sokka up the driveway and into what appeared from the outside to be a modest little family home. 

It was apparent the moment Zuko stepped through the door that the Shimizu family was deeply proud of their Southern Water Tribe heritage. Traditional paintings hung from every wall, and thick, fluffy animal pelts took the place of woven rugs, which were common in Fire Nation homes (like Zuko’s). Much of the décor came in deep shades of blue and icy whites, reminiscent of the southern artic landscape. Sokka led him into the den, and Zuko was immediately drawn to the mantle above the brick fireplace, which held a number of sculptures made from carved bones and smooth sea glass. 

“Wow,” Zuko breathed, admiring a hunting scene that had been whittled into a flat piece of bone. “This is amazing, Sokka.” 

“Yeah, it’s alright, I guess,” Sokka said nonchalantly, bumping shoulders with Zuko. “My parents are both pretty big into traditional crafting, and they collect stuff like this when they go back to visit family. _This_ is my favourite, though,” he said, pointing up at the ceiling. Zuko had been so focused on the things displayed at eye level that he hadn’t even thought to look up. When he did, though, his mouth fell open. 

“Holy shit,” he exclaimed, his eyes flying back towards Sokka. “You have a boat _in your house?”_ An upside-down kayak hung from the exposed rafters above, stretching diagonally across the length of the room. The boat appeared big enough to snugly accommodate two adults. As Zuko stared up at the watercraft with wonder, Sokka seated himself on the brown leather sofa against the wall, snapped apart the chopsticks the restaurant had taped to the lid of the takeout box, and tore into his dinner. 

“It was a wedding gift from my father to his partner, Bato,” Sokka explained through a mouthful of noodles. He patted the cushion beside him, inviting his guest to sit as well. “S’made from whale bones _*slurp*_ and seal skins from hunts undertaken by our tribe. They’re really rare now, because apparently not many people know how to make them anymore.” Zuko joined his friend on the sofa, still caught up in the beauty of the artifact-filled room as he tucked into his box of spicy peanut noodles. 

“Your house is incredible,” Zuko murmured, glancing over Sokka. “I’m actually kind of jealous.” He stared down into his box of noodles and concentrated on grabbing just the right sized bite so that he wouldn’t look like an idiot who couldn’t eat properly or something. 

“I’ve seen your uncle’s place,” Sokka countered. “It’s really nice, don’t you think? He’s got tons of plants, and it’s always bright and smells like tea. I mean, he’s gone a bit wild with all his teacups and teapots, but everyone’s got their thing.” 

Zuko let out a breath of laughter in agreement. Uncle Iroh _did_ have a lovely home. It was quaint, painted in soothing greens and yellows, with just enough room for Iroh, Toph, and Zuko to live comfortably. Most people who didn’t know the man well considered Uncle’s extensive collection of tea paraphernalia to be outrageous, but he owned a tea shop, so it really wasn’t so strange in Zuko’s mind. 

“Uncle’s home is beautiful, you’re right. I, uh, actually meant my childhood home,” Zuko explained hesitantly. This wasn’t a topic he’d not expected to broach so soon. “It wasn’t warm or inviting like Uncle’s house, and my father didn’t really have any interest in having keepsakes around. He hated being reminded of his family, even though our heritage meant a lot to him.” 

“I’m sorry,” Sokka said. “We don’t have to talk about it – your father, or your house – if you don’t want. We could decide on a movie?” He stabbed his chopsticks into the remainder of his noodles and set the box on the end table so his hands were free. 

Zuko winced at the sight of Sokka’s chopsticks standing straight up in his food. His father had once withheld dinner when Zuko had briefly left his own chopsticks in a similar manner. As far as cultural traditions and taboos went, it was a petty infraction, but his father had extremely high expectations of Zuko when it came to propriety, and had considered his son’s mistake a ‘teachable moment’. 

“It’s fine,” Zuko shrugged, secretly grateful at having been offered an out. “Uncle says it’s probably good if I talk about my father sometimes, even though it’s difficult.” 

“Sure, that makes sense,” Sokka agreed, leaning forward. “I just don’t want you to feel like you owe it to me or something just because I shared about my parents. I want to know more about you – of course I do – but there’s no rush.” 

If Zuko had to choose one word to describe what he knew of Sokka's character so far, he'd choose 'comfort'. Everything the man had done so far - from insisting on trying out makeup (even though he'd never used it before) because he knew Zuko enjoyed it, to choosing a place for dinner that offered food Zuko would be familiar with - had been to assure Zuko's comfort. He had promised not to be pushy, to give Zuko the time and space he needed, but had also shown up at Sephora with the stylist's favourite beverage just because he knew it would make him feel good. Putting himself out there was scary, but it was made so much easier when he was able to do so with someone like Sokka, who was doing everything in his power to make Zuko feel at home when they were together. 

“Thank you, that means a lot,” Zuko said appreciatively. He met Sokka’s eyes and held his gaze, feeling none of the awkwardness he usually felt when there was a lull in a conversation. This boy wasn’t going to push him somewhere he wasn't ready to go, he knew. 

“So, movie?” Sokka asked brightly, guessing that Zuko probably needed some time before being expected to bare his soul and dive into deep family issues. “What are you in the mood for? A sappy romance, stuff with explosions? A sappy romance _with_ explosions, maybe? You can pick tonight, since you’re my guest, but it’s my turn next time.” 

“Next time?” Zuko repeated, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. 

“Well, you can’t pick _every_ time,” Sokka pouted. “That’s just not fair.” 

It had been said with such definiteness that Zuko couldn’t even think to tease Sokka for assuming there’d be a next time. ‘Next time’ had become a guarantee the moment he’d spoken it into existence. 

"Fine, we'll take turns," Zuko acquiesced, settling into the corner of the sofa. "Got any romantic _comedies_ with explosions?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko begrudgingly agrees to help the girls get ready for a party; Sokka and Zuko enjoy some quality time together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to the fantastic Sonny (@iceandfire on AO3, itszukkatime on Tumblr) for reading over my initial draft, and for inspo for the ending. Much appreciated! Sephora Zuko is her creation, and I'm so appreciative for the headcanons Sonny has done that have helped me shape the characters and their interactions.

When Zuko finished his Friday afternoon shift, taken last minute because of a coworker calling in sick, Sokka and the girls were waiting outside the store for him on one of the uncomfortable “boyfriend benches” (Sokka’s name for the seating provided outside of stores that catered primarily to women).

“You guys didn’t have to wait for me,” Zuko said wearily as he approached the trio. Sokka had his black leather notebook out and was sketching a design for a school project. The girls each had a few shopping bags at their feet, which was a bit of a surprise. For all the time they spent at the mall, very rarely did they actually buy anything. 

“Sokka refused to drive us home until you were off work,” Toph deadpanned, momentarily turning her attention from the video playing on Katara’s phone. “So actually, we _did_ have to wait for you.” 

“How was your shift?” Sokka inquired, ignoring Toph’s accusation as he stood up to greet Zuko. He pressed a quick kiss to his exhausted boyfriend’s cheek and handed him a large jasmine tea. Zuko couldn’t help but blush a little when he saw that the cup had “Hot Stuff” written on the side in place of his name. 

“Extremely busy,” Zuko admitted, popping the lid from his cup so that he could inhale the aromatic steam rising from his drink. He sighed contently, and his expression softened as the tea worked its magic on his mood. “Friday is the day every makeup-wearing human remembers that they need something for whatever party or event they’ve got happening on the weekend, so we’re usually swamped all day.” The girls both perked up at the word ‘party’. 

“Speaking of parties…” Katara prompted, nudging Toph with her elbow. 

“Oh yeah,” the shorter girl exclaimed. “Zuko, would you mind doing Katara’s and my makeup for the party tonight? We both got some new clothes, but we thought it would really boost our image if our makeup looks really good.” 

“The party,” Zuko repeated with a frown. “What party?” 

“The one Sokka promised you guys would drop us off at, and pick us up from,” Katara filled in, her eyebrows furrowing as she regarded her older brother. “He told you about it, right?” Sokka glowered at her, but dropped the death glare when Zuko turned to him, confused. 

“What kind of party?” 

“One that we’re apparently not going to tell the parents about,” Sokka shrugged nonchalantly. “Some kid from their school is hosting at his house. Toph bullied me into saying yes when I asked for your Starbucks order.” Zuko rolled his eyes at this. It was such a Sokka thing to do, trading a favour for information from a 14-year-old. 

“Will there be drinking? Any adults around to supervise?” Zuko asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at his cousin. Though Toph couldn’t see his expression, she heard the brotherly concern in his voice. 

“Come on, Sparky, don’t get your panties in a twist,” she huffed, failing to reassure him. “It’s just a bunch of high school kids hanging out and listening to music. We’re not going to do anything stupid.” Zuko turned his gaze on Katara, who was chewing at her lip and avoiding eye contact with both men. Toph had a much stronger backbone than she, and the idea of being reprimanded by her brother’s new boyfriend held little appeal for her. 

“You’re not old enough to go to a party like that, Toph,” Zuko said firmly. “I know it sounds fun, but trust me when I say that nothing good ever happens in a house full of drunk teenagers.” 

“That’s not fair!” Toph huffed, crossing her arms indignantly. “We’re not going to drink – we’re smarter than that. I bet you and Sokka went to parties all the time when you were our age, so you’re just being hypocritical.” 

“HA. Yeah, right,” Sokka snickered. “As if we even got invited. I wasn’t cool enough, and Zuko was probably that emo kid that everyone was scared of.” A long, uncomfortable silence followed, during which Zuko glared at Sokka. “Just kidding?” Sokka attempted, his voice rising in pitch. 

“Nah, you got me,” Zuko eventually relented, cracking a smile. “I had my lip and eyebrow pierced in high school. Pissed my dad off, and scared all the teachers shitless. Definitely no party invites for me. Well…” He hesitated. “I guess the girls from the Wiccan club at my school invited me to their Halloween party. Does that count?” 

“ _Definitely_ not a party, babe,” Sokka cringed, patting Zuko’s shoulder in sympathy for his cluelessness. “So, anyways…what were you saying?” 

“He was _saying_ that a deal’s a deal,” Toph said defiantly, setting her hands on her hips. “You’re going to drop us off at the party for 8:00, and we’ll call you when we’re ready to go home.” 

“If you’re so adamant on going to this party, why don’t you just ask Uncle?” Zuko asked, as if he didn’t already know the answer. Toph just growled and gritted her teeth. She hated when Zuko was in one of his stubborn moods. Katara had made the smart decision to stay out of the discussion entirely. Sokka had already given her the go-ahead, and had promised not to snitch on her, but if Toph wasn’t going, there was no way Katara was showing up without her. 

“Girls, could you give us a minute to talk?” Sokka requested, resting a hand against Zuko’s lower back. Toph rolled her eyes, but allowed the couple a bit of privacy by starting up a whispered conversation with Katara. 

“Sokka,” Zuko sighed, allowing the other man to lead him a few steps away. “You don’t actually think this is a good idea, right?” 

“Oh, definitely not,” Sokka snorted. “I think they’ll spend 10 minutes there, realize how lame it is to watch people drink themselves unconscious, and be ready to come back home.” 

“It’s not their decision-making I’m worried about,” Zuko admitted, lightly resting his free hand on Sokka’s hip. “There will be older guys there who think they can get away with whatever they want, and I don’t want Toph or Katara to get hurt. They’re just kids, Sokka.” Behind the concern in his voice was a note of fear that Sokka suspected to be an untold personal experience. 

“What if,” he proposed, “We let the girls go to the party, but they have to let us chaperone? They can have their fun, and we’ll hang out in the corner, just to keep an eye on them. Like you said, they’ll get bored pretty quickly, and then we can go back to your place and watch a movie or something.” 

“You think that’s gonna work?” Zuko quirked a questioning eyebrow. “I can’t imagine Toph or Katara being thrilled with that.” 

“We tell them it’s this, or they can stay home and watch TV by themselves,” Sokka shrugged. “They won’t have much of a choice.” 

Zuko considered this plan for a minute, and feeling that it was probably the only way they would be able to both keep the girls safe _and_ keep them from rioting, he nodded in agreement. 

“Will you tell them, or should I?” 

* * * * * 

“Okay, I’m not mad anymore,” Toph decided, toying with her new dangly earrings. Zuko was putting the finishing touches on her makeup, and because Katara insisted she looked amazing, Toph was willing to set aside her anger at her cousin. 

“Close your eyes and don’t breathe for a few seconds,” Zuko instructed, turning Toph’s head to face him. “I’m using setting spray, which will help the makeup last longer. You still need to do your best to not touch your face so it won’t get smudged, alright?” 

“Whatever you say, Zuzu,” Toph teased. If she’d thought to choose a better nickname, she might have avoided being sprayed directly in the mouth the next time she opened it to speak. 

“You deserved that,” Zuko shrugged, ignoring his cousin’s pleas for a glass of water to rinse her mouth as she gagged and tried to spit out the awful-tasting spray. He packed up whatever belonged to him in his makeup box and left the girls to their own devices. 

In his own room, Zuko found Sokka on his bed, lying on his stomach, with an Xbox controller in hand. The bed creaked under his weight when he perched himself on the end of it, drawing Sokka’s attention. He paused the game and tossed the controller aside. 

“How’d it go?” Sokka asked, sitting up. “Did you paint eyeballs on her eyelids so that even when she closes her eyes, it still looks like they’re open?” 

“Sokka, that’s terrifying,” Zuko cringed. “Why would you even think about that?” 

“I watched Pirates of the Caribbean yesterday,” Sokka shrugged, as if this somehow explained it. Zuko just shook his head and moved on. 

“I’m going to fix my face up a bit, if we’re going to a party,” he told Sokka, moving over to the vanity on the opposite side of the room. “This look is a little too plain.” 

“What are you talking about?” Sokka asked, perplexed. “Babe, you look amazing.” He walked across the room and stood behind Zuko’s chair, setting his hands on the man’s shoulders. “You don’t need to change a thing. In fact, you could take that all off and still look just as gorgeous.” 

“You’re making my face go all red and warm,” Zuko accused gently, meeting Sokka’s eyes in the reflection of the mirror. He grabbed a pack of makeup removing wipes from the bottom drawer of the vanity table and pulled one from the package. 

“I’m just being honest,” Sokka murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of Zuko’s head. “You don’t need any of that to look good.” 

“How do you know?” Zuko asked, his voice a whisper. He held a wipe to one cheek, but paused self-consciously. “You’ve never seen me without it.” 

“I’ve seen pictures.” One of Sokka’s hands wound itself into Zuko’s thick, black hair, just because he loved the feel of it against his fingers. 

“Not the same.” Zuko closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of Sokka’s nails scratching his scalp. 

“Maybe not,” Sokka agreed, “But I’m also your boyfriend, which means that I think you’re beautiful every moment of every day.” 

“You’ve been my boyfriend for less than a week,” Zuko reminded him. 

“That means I’m just getting started,” Sokka smiled down at him. “I don’t care if it takes 10 days or a thousand – I’m going to spend every day working to make you see yourself through my eyes.” 

“Sokka…” Zuko protested softly. 

“Nope, you can’t change my mind,” Sokka said, giving Zuko’s shoulders a firm squeeze. “I’m extremely stubborn. Just ask Katara!” 

Zuko took a deep breath, ignored how fast his heart was racing, and started to wipe away his makeup. Sokka watched in rapture as his boyfriend’s face changed. Without foundation, he noticed that Zuko’s skin reminded him very much of his own: the colour uneven in some places, an occasional spot of redness. Without the mascara, eyeliner, and eyeshadow, his eyes were smaller, but still the same golden hazel Sokka had been intrigued by on the day they met. 

Zuko’s shoulders seized up just as he started to work at the area around his left eye, which frustrated him nearly to the point of tears. Without a word, Sokka pressed his thumbs firmly into the trapezius muscles above Zuko’s shoulder blades, massaging the tension out little by little. When the young man finally relaxed, Sokka knelt down beside him and held out a hand. 

“Let me,” he requested without hesitation. If he had been demanding or insistent, Sokka would have received a staunch refusal. But because he regarded him with unyielding patience and adoration, Zuko relinquished the makeup wipe and allowed Sokka to push back the hair that hid that part of his face. 

“Tell me if I’m hurting you,” Sokka told him, making quick work of the foundation and concealer that covered up what he knew to be much of the source of Zuko’s shame. He had observed the difference in the shape of Zuko’s eyes, but hadn’t seen the extent of the scarring that covered nearly a third of his face until now. 

In some places the skin was pink and puckered, and in others, the healing seemed to have gone better, with minimal change in texture or colour. There was an obvious demarcation between burnt and intact skin, which Sokka guessed to be the result of skin grafting. He didn’t ask, though, assuming that if Zuko were interested in sharing, he would do so if and when he was ready. With a feather-soft touch, Sokka wiped away the black liner from Zuko’s eye. He had no eyelashes or eyebrow on this side of his face, but had still chosen to line his eye to match the other as best as possible. 

“Zuko, do you trust me?” Sokka asked quietly, his hand still holding Zuko’s hair back. 

A moment of silence preceded a quiet, “Yes.” 

“Close your eyes.” 

When the man had done as requested, Sokka leaned forward and pressed the lightest of kisses to Zuko’s left eyelid. The man startled when Sokka’s breath fanned across his face, but remained still as Sokka continued his work. He kissed the hard line of his brow, and trailed his lips along the scar up to Zuko’s hairline; diagonally down to his ear, nipping the lobe gently; back up along the line of his cheekbone; and finally, for the first time, set his mouth against Zuko’s, which welcomed him eagerly. 

Having left the door of the bedroom open, Zuko and Sokka were within the line of sight of anyone standing at the top of the stairs that linked the upper floor to the main level of the house. Iroh had finished making dinner, and was on his way to gather his charges and their guests when he happened upon the tender scene. Some of his worries were eased, and some of his suspicions confirmed – namely, his fear that Zuko would push away anyone who tried to care for him, and his suspicion that much of the abuse Zuko’s father had put him through was a result of his disgust and disdain for his son’s sexuality. 

Iroh’s slippers softened the sound of his feet against the floor, and he was able to tiptoe down the hall to Toph’s bedroom. He announced himself outside the door loud enough to ensure that the girls could ask him not to come in if they were changing, and that Zuko and Sokka would know they were about to lose what little privacy they’d had previously. 

* * * * * 

The girls were ready for dinner, but Sokka had distracted Zuko from redoing his makeup, so the two grabbed bowls of ramen and returned to the bedroom, this time closing the door behind them. They slurped their noodles and broth quickly, as time was running short until they were supposed to leave. 

Because Zuko was the most terrible liar of all time, Sokka informed Iroh that they were taking the girls to an event hosted by university for students still in high school, where they could mingle with other young people and take a tour of the campus. The girls went along with this in a heartbeat, explaining to Uncle that they wanted to make ‘the best impression possible,’ and that was the reason they were dressed up. 

Zuko made quick work of his own face, explaining the steps of makeup application to Sokka as he went. The questions his boyfriend asked were not the ones Zuko usually heard from customers at Sephora. Instead, Sokka made inquiries into the chemical properties of the cosmetics, or the manufacturing process; even the reason for the unique shapes of the brushes and other tools was of interest to him. 

When he finished, Sokka regarded Zuko with wonder in his eyes. Unlike the natural look he had worn for work that day, Zuko had transformed himself into what Sokka lovingly dubbed “sexy vampire”. He had applied false lashes to both eyes (challenging on his left eye, but not impossible), contoured along his cheekbones, made his eyeliner “smoky” (Sokka didn’t quite understand what that meant), and finished the look with a lipstick the colour of red wine. 

“The next time someone tells me bisexuality isn’t real, I’m just showing them a photo of you,” Sokka told him. “Pretty sure they’d understand then.” 

“Do people actually say that kind of thing to you – to your face?” Zuko asked, grimacing at the very thought of being spoken to like that. 

“For sure,” Sokka confirmed. “I guess people can understand being complete gay, or completely straight, but something in between is tough to grasp. Or they think it’s about wanting to be with more than one person at once, which it’s not, for me at least.” 

“Well, the only thing I want to hear people telling you tonight is that you look fucking amazing,” Zuko said, standing up from his seat at the vanity and gesturing at Sokka to swap spots. “Tonight’s the night, Sokka. Go big or go home.” 

“A-are you sure?” Sokka asked, bringing his hands up to touch his cheeks. He was suddenly self-conscious; what if he looked like an idiot? 

“You’ve tried just about everything individually at this point, so the only difference is that you’d have it all on at once,” Zuko reasoned. And that was true; Sokka had been stopping by the store every day, either during or after Zuko’s shift, and had been introduced to products he’d never even heard of before. Now he could properly identify mascara, distinguish between blush and bronzer, explain what highlighter was for, and (Zuko’s favourite) had purchased a few tubes of lipstick and lipgloss for his own personal use. 

“Okay. Do it fast, though, before I chicken out,” Sokka insisted, seating himself backwards on the chair so that Zuko could sit on the end of the bed as he worked his magic. 

“What kind of look do you want me to go for? Maybe something natural for your first time?” Both men held in their laughter at Zuko’s very intentional innuendo. 

“Um, maybe this isn’t how it works,” Sokka said, “But if I give you one of my lipsticks, could you base the rest of the colours and stuff on that?” 

“For sure,” Zuko grinned. He felt oddly proud of Sokka for remembering that some colours and textures go together well, and others don’t. “I like the way you’re thinking.” Sokka reached for his backpack, unzipped one of the pockets on the front, and pulled out a black tube Zuko immediately recognized as a MAC product. 

“I don’t remember you buying this,” Zuko said, raising an eyebrow. “Did you get this from Sephora?” 

“Of course I did. How could I betray you and go somewhere else?” Sokka asked, scandalized by the very suggestion. “I went before your shift yesterday. Suki and Ty Lee helped me.” When Zuko pulled the lid from the tube, his eyes widened with surprise. 

“Sokka, you brave, brave man,” Zuko murmured. 

“Is it too much, do you think?” 

“Agni, _no,_ ” Zuko insisted. “You’re gonna look…well, you’re gonna look really good.” Sokka with fiery-red lips hadn’t crossed Zuko’s mind until this moment, but now that it head, the image wouldn’t be leaving his thoughts anytime soon. 

“Wanna know why I picked that one?” Sokka asked, waggling his eyebrows. 

“Uh, sure?” Zuko said uncertainly. He’d assumed Sokka just liked the colour, but if there was an actual reason, he was curious to hear it. 

“Well, the girls at Sephora _insisted_ that this lipstick is kiss-proof,” Sokka explained, smiling deviously. 

“K-kiss-proof?” Zuko repeated, his voice wavering. 

“Yep. And I’m sure you know by now that I love experiments, and testing things to see if they work,” Sokka continued, dazzling his boyfriend with his smile. He was pleased that Zuko was responding exactly as he had hoped. “It’s what I’m in school for, in fact.” 

“You’re in school for…kissing?” 

“Wow, you’re taking this really well,” Sokka laughed, giving Zuko’s shoulders a little shake to bring him back to reality. “Anyways, use this for inspiration, and make me look pretty, alright?” The reminder about the party snapped Zuko out of his daze, mostly because he caught sight of the clock and realized how little time they had left before they’d promised the girls they would leave. 

“Shit. Right,” Zuko said, clearing his throat. “With a colour like this, you want the lips to be the main focus of the look, so we’ll be careful not to overdo it elsewhere.” 

“Sounds legit,” Sokka nodded. “Well, let’s get me all dolled up, _doll_.” 

* * * * * 

“You’re taking forever in there,” Toph complained, knocking on Zuko’s bedroom door. “You two better have clothes on, or I’m telling Uncle you shouldn’t be allowed to have boys in your room with the door shut.” 

“Ew, please never say that again,” Katara said, holding her stomach and pretending to gag. “That’s my _brother_. I don’t want to think about him and Zuko…ya know.” 

“Oh, and I do?” Toph asked, scrunching her nose in disgust. “This is one of the few reasons I’m glad to be blind. Never have to see people being nasty.” 

“What are the others?” Katara inquired curiously. 

“Uncle doesn’t really make me help out with the cleaning because I always knock stuff over, and other people will always give me rides because I can’t learn how to drive,” she listed. “Pretty much just those.” 

“Okay, we’re ready to go,” Sokka announced, swinging the door open. The lights were off for some reason, but Zuko was right behind him, his car keys jangling in his hand. Toph made to follow them, but Katara grabbed her shoulder when she caught sight of Sokka’s makeup. 

“Ugh, _gross,_ could you guys not have waited until we got home or something?” Katara exclaimed, regarding the boys with a horrified scowl. 

“What?” Toph asked, frowning. “What’s wrong? Is Snoozles wearing something awful?” 

“Katara, what are you freaking out about now?” Sokka asked, sighing heavily as he stopped halfway down the stairs. “Is this about the makeup? I thought you were more open-minded about this kind of thing. I know it’ll take a bit to get used to, but—” 

“It’s not the makeup,” Katara interrupted, averting her eyes. “When was the last time you looked in a mirror, Sokka?” 

“What?” Sokka turned around, coming face to face with Zuko. He wiped a hand over his own mouth, glanced down at his palm, and groaned. “Oh, shiiiiii—” 

“Language!” Uncle Iroh called from the sitting room. 

“Sorry, Iroh!” Sokka replied loudly. 

“I’m such an _idiot,_ “ Zuko realized aloud, smacking a hand to his forehead. Both he and Sokka had dark, burgundy lipstick (Marc Jacobs lip crème in deep oxblood, to be exact) smeared around their mouths, and Sokka had it all over his neck as well. It didn’t take a genius to guess how it got there, nor should it have taken a genius to remember that only Sokka’s had been advertised as kiss-proof. 

“Looks like mine stayed put, though!” Sokka said brightly. 

“We don’t want to know,” Katara hissed, covering her ears. “We changed our mind about the party. Toph, let’s call Aang and see if he’s free to go for ice cream. Ugh, I don’t even know if I could keep it down.” 

“What the heck? Katara, what’s happening?” Toph whined. 

“I’ll tell you later,” she replied, hauling Toph down the stairs. 

Zuko and Sokka stared at each other uncertainly for half a minute before bursting into bubbling, raucous laughter. 

“I’ll go get the makeup wipes and meet you in the bathroom?” Sokka suggested, wiping a tear of amusement from his eye. Never before had he seen Zuko flush red from his throat all the way up his face. 

“Sure, I just have to light myself on fire first,” Zuko replied, resting his forehead against the wall. 

“Well, at least Toph didn’t see anything,” Sokka smirked, patting his boyfriend’s shoulder amiably. “Katara’s so disgusted she’ll never bring it up again. Toph would never talk about anything but this ever again.” 

“Small mercies…” Zuko sighed. 

Once the boys had cleaned themselves up (and double checked to ensure they hadn’t missed any colourful kisses anywhere else), they joined Iroh in the sitting room for tea. The trio watched a few episodes of some nature program Zuko’s uncle had been raving about for a week. Sokka was certain that the moment they left the safety of Iroh’s sitting room, they would be ambushed by two annoying (and annoyed) teenagers. Just after 10:00, Iroh yawned loudly, stood up from his recliner, and announced that he was retiring for the evening. 

“Don’t stay up too late, boys,” he bid them in his deep, rumbling voice. “If you’re around for breakfast tomorrow, I’m making eggs with furikake – a wonderful smell to wake up to, if you ask me.” And with that, Iroh shuffled off to bed. 

“Pretty early for a Friday night,” Sokka opined, checking his watch. “Is that normal for him?” 

“No, I think he must be trying to give us some privacy,” Zuko exasperated, drawing his knees up to his chest and tucking his head between them. “He’s doing his best to be supportive, and I really do appreciate it, but…” 

“But it weirds you out a little when your uncle tries to subtly let you know that it’s cool for your boyfriend to stay the night?” Sokka guessed, chuckling to himself. “It’s nice of him, really. But if you haven’t had your fill of embarrassment, feel free to come over while my dads are home. They’d be more than happy to give you an in-depth talk about how having sex with boys is different than it is with girls, as if I couldn’t have guessed that.” 

“Okay, yeah, that’s worse,” Zuko agreed. “I’d take Uncle’s sleepover invites over that every day of the week.” Sokka felt likewise. 

When the next episode of their nature show started, Zuko took the opportunity to shuffle closer to Sokka, whose arms were pebbled with goosebumps. Sokka threw an arm around Zuko’s shoulders and tucked him against his side, both because he enjoyed being close to his boyfriend, and also because the man was unnaturally warm-blooded. Sokka got twice the benefit if he cuddled up to Zuko that he could expect if he were to ask to borrow a sweater. 

When he noticed that the occasional sarcastic commentary Zuko had provided when Iroh was in the room had dried up, Sokka leaned forward just enough to see Zuko’s expression. The man had gone startlingly quiet, and his eyes had a far-off, glazed-over look that Sokka recognized at once. Zuko was present in body, but his mind was somewhere else completely. 

“Hey,” Sokka whispered, nudging Zuko’s knee with his own. “Baby, wake up.” 

“Huh?” Zuko mumbled, blinking slowly as he returned to consciousness. “Everything okay?” 

“Where’d you go, man?” Sokka asked, his head tilting to one side. “One minute you were here, and then…” 

“Oh, you know. Just thinking about stuff,” Zuko shrugged away Sokka’s concern. “Nothing important.” Sokka doubted this very much, but didn’t want to come off as pushy or intrusive. In fact, he had a pretty good idea about what might be troubling Zuko. 

“You know I’m not expecting you to invite me to sleep here tonight, right?” Sokka’s soft blue eyes examined Zuko’s face for any sign of discomfort. “That was nice of Iroh to offer, but, uh…” He pressed his lips together for a moment, choosing his words thoughtfully. “I’d really rather wait until you’re the one who asks me to stay, and I don’t want you to ask me until you’re 100% comfortable with that.” 

“Oh. Are you sure?” Zuko’s eyebrows knit together questioningly. “I don’t mind.” He _did_ mind, actually, he minded a lot, but no one had ever really taken his thoughts or preferences into consideration – not until he’d moved in with Iroh and Toph. 

“I don’t want you to ‘not mind’, I want you to _want_ me to stay,” Sokka clarified. “This is _your_ home, _your_ safe space, and I’ll only ever be here when you want me to be.” These were exactly the words Zuko needed to hear, apparently, because he threw his arms around Sokka’s neck and held him tight. 

“Thank you,” Zuko effused, giving Sokka a quick peck on the lips. “Really, I just…thank you.” Sokka dipped his face forward and pressed his nose and mouth against the warm skin of Zuko’s neck, where he stayed as long as he was able to breathe. 

The boys committed to one more episode of the show, which they enjoyed in a jumbled mess of arms and legs. They hadn’t been messing around at all, but instead had slowly allowed themselves to become tangled in each other’s warm embrace. As the credits rolled at the end of the episode, Sokka glanced down at the head resting on his sternum, and noticed that Zuko’s eyelids were fluttering, heavy with fatigue. 

“Alright, baby,” Sokka said, prodding at his boyfriend’s smooth cheek with an index finger. “Time for you to go tuck yourself into bed, and time for me to head home for the night.” Zuko mumbled incoherently, but was able to pull himself off the couch and walk up to his room, so long as Sokka had a hand on his elbow to guide him. 

When Sokka was satisfied with the way the blankets were draped over Zuko’s slim frame, he kissed the boy’s forehead and whispered a sweet goodnight wish to him. 

“Hey, Ssssokka?” Zuko slurred sleepily, opening his eyes just long enough to catch Sokka’s retreat from his bedroom. “When will I see you next?” 

“Bright and early,” Sokka called back in a loud whisper. “I may not be staying the night, but there’s no way I’m missing out on that breakfast Iroh mentioned.” And with that, Sokka flicked the light switch next to Zuko’s door and was off, hoping that he’d be able to keep his own eyes open long enough to make it home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all, folks! Not sure if or when I'll do another Avatar: The Last Airbender fic, but I really enjoyed writing this and hearing your thoughts on my story.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Tumblr at flammable-grimm-pitch!


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